You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.

To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

Real happiness lies within. It cannot be found in external objects or achievements.

Happiness is found in the simplest of things. It is not in the things you own, but in the love you share.

In the gap between thoughts, nonconceptual wisdom shines continuously.

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

The true understanding is that the practice itself is enlightenment.

The way to overcome anger is to be too busy being kind to have time to be angry.

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.

The cave I live in is empty and so is my mind. I live simply and at ease.

The greatest obstacle to meditation is our expectation about what it should be.

The sign of wisdom is constant joy.

By understanding emptiness, one understands all phenomena. Without understanding emptiness, one understands nothing.

When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.

The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.

Freedom is not found in the absence of difficulty, but in our relationship to it.

The dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is neither excess nor deficiency. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the truth is ready to harvest.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

Change is possible because there is nothing inherently permanent about our disturbing emotions.

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

Forgiveness is giving up all hope for a better past.

The menu is not the meal.

The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconsciousness is realized only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the perfecting of his technical skill.

Metta is the ability to embrace all parts of ourselves, as well as all parts of the world.

The Four Noble Truths are not mere doctrinal propositions but a framework for understanding and transforming our lives.

Every sensation shares the same characteristic - arising, passing. Arising, passing. Learn to observe objectively.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

The cultivation of loving-kindness is the thread that runs through all Buddhist teachings.

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.

We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

Without darkness, there is no light. Without the path, there is no arrival.